Will it be deja vu for Ganjam?

BERHAMPUR: Once bitten but not so shy the second time around. This best describes the people of Ganjam who seem to be drawing very little from their tough experience of the Covid-19 crisis which gripped the district last year.  After a lull of nearly four months, the district has started reporting daily Covid cases in double digits but the residents can be seen violating safety guidelines with impunity as the administration remains a mute spectator. 

Since December 13 last year, positive cases in the district were in single digits but in last just 48 hours, 25 cases were reported. On Sunday, 12 new positive cases were detected in the district compared to 13 on Saturday. Besides, two Covid-19 deaths have been reported in last 48 hours. The casualties include a 75-year-old woman of Kamalapur village in Rangeilunda block, who had returned from Mumbai on March 23. She succumbed to the virus on Saturday. Similarly, a man from Karachuli village in Sorada block who had travelled from Surat too died of the infection. So far, Ganjam has reported 250 Covid-19 deaths. 

Despite the emerging situation, people continue to be complacent. With the virus showing signs of resurgence, laxity may prove costly for the district in the coming days, experts said.  Last year, district administration provided testing facility at people’s doorsteps apart from making it available at MKCG Medical College and Hospital (MKCGMCH), Berhampur, City hospital and a private clinic. This time, its approach has changed as currently, Ganjam has only two testing facilities - City Hospital and MKCGMCH.

Besides the inadequate testing facilities, delay in availability of test results too has emerged as a cause of concern. Sources said, test reports are made available in 48-72 hours time. Contacted, Ganjam Collector Vijay Amruta Kulange said he will look into the problems in testing and delay in issuance of reports.
Meanwhile, the restrictions on ‘Danda Nacha’ remains only on paper. Orders restricting the number of participants of each troupe in the festival to 25 and social distancing among devotees are being flouted openly across the district. 

Adding to the worry, educational institutions are also reporting Covid cases. A lecturer of Anchalika Mahavidyalaya at Balipadar in Buguda block tested positive and was admitted to MKCG on Saturday. While the college was shut down for three days, Bhanjanagar Sub-Collector Rajendra Kumar Minz directed all its staff to undergo testing. Similarly, a teacher of Balipadar High School tested positive on Sunday.